Postage scales are utilized to weigh letters or other parcels in order to enable a user to determine the amount of postage required to mail the letter or parcel. In order to obtain an accurate postage amount, it is necessary to obtain and utilize the most current rate information of a desired carrier and shipping method. In the past, this was accomplished by periodically exchanging a cartridge having current rate information. However, this required manufacturing and shipping the cartridges, which added cost to the process. Moreover, rate changes made prior to receiving the newest cartridge could not be implemented, potentially resulting in having an incorrect postage amount.
Today, some postage scales are connected via a line or bus to a computer having access to the Internet. The scales provide the computer with information about the weight of the letter or parcel, and the computer uses current rate information obtained from an Internet site to calculate the postage. The computer must be provided with the appropriate software to make the calculations. Moreover, in this environment, the computer must necessarily be placed close to the scale in order for a user to both efficiently weigh the letter or parcel, and obtain the calculated postage amount. This is because the user must place the letter or parcel on the scale and then move to the computer to obtain a postage amount. The present invention offers a more efficient scale capable of performing the postage calculations at the scale.